Wrapping machinery



March 13, 1951 J. A. GILBERT 2,545,273

WRAPPING MACHINERY Filed Feb. 7, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. F I6. I. J.A.G|LBERT.

BY m *7 W ATTORNEYS,

March 13, 1951 GlLBERT 2,545,273

WRAPPING MACHINERY Filed Feb, 7, 1946 5 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

J.A.G|LBERT. Y

B j ATTORNEYS.

J. A. GILBERT WRAPPING MACHINERY March 13, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 7, 1946 FIGS.

INVENTOR.

J.A.GILBERT.

GATTORNEYS March 13, 1951 J. A. GILBERT WRAPPING MACHINERY 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 7, 1946 FIG. 4.

INVENTOR.

J.A.G|LBERT- a TORNEYS.

March 13, 1951 J. A. GILBERT 2,545,273

WRAPPING MACHINERY Filed Feb. 7, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

JAGILBERT.

tection of faulty packages.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRAPPING MACHINERY Joseph Arthur Gilbert, Gainsborough, England, assignor to. Rose Brothers (Gainsborough) Limited, Gainsborough, England, a British company Application February 7, 1946, Serial No. 646,152 In Great Britain February 27, 1945 1 Thi invention relates to wrapping machines of the kind inwhich the articles to be wrapped are fed in succession to a series of pockets each of which has previously been provided with a wrapping, th pockets being contained in a movable pocket member adapted to carry the articles in turn to a series of stations at each of which an operation is performed.

The invention is particularly concerned with the removal of the wrapped articles from the pockets at a delivery station, and with the de- According to the invention a wrapping machine of the above kind comprises a delivery magazine arranged above the pocket of the pocket member at the. delivery station, an ejecting member arranged normally to pass through the base of each pocket in turn as it arrives at the delivery station to eject the wrapped article into the delivery magazine, a detecting mechanism adapted to detect the absence of articles from the pockets, and a stop mechanism under the influence of the detecting mechanism arranged upon such detection to prevent operation of the ejecting member upon arrival at the delivery station of the pocket from which the blade is absent.

The invention thus provides that only complete packages, 1. e., wrappers containing articles, are

delivered into the delivery magazine. Preferably,

an auxiliary magazine is provided at the next station to the delivery station, and an auxiliary ejeting member co-operating with the auxiliary magazine and operating in a manner similar to that of the ejecting member at the delivery station except that it has no connection with the stop mechanism and thus is caused to operate as each pocket arrives at the auxiliary delivery station.

'by the auxiliary ejecting member when the pocket reaches the auxiliary delivery station.

The invention has been found particularly useful in connection with the wrapping of razor blades, and its application for such a purpose will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine for wrapping razor blades, showing the various stations,

Figures 2 and 3 are an elevation and plan, respectively, of a portion of the machine at the blade-feeding station, drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1, and

Figures 4 and 5 are an elevation and plan, re-

2 Claims. (01. 93-2) 7 the pocket wheel II.

spectively, of a portion of the apparatus at the delivery station, drawn to the same scale as Figures 2 and 3.

Referring to the drawings, the machine in general comprises a pocket wheel II formed with a series of eight pockets S2 of a size appropriate to the blades I3 to be packed, and a series of eight stations disposed around the periphery of Suitable mechanism (not shown) is provided for intermittently rotating the pocket wheel I I through an eighth of a revolution at a time so as to bring each pocket I2 to rest in turn at each of the eight stations, and during each rest period an operation is performed at each station. In thi manner a completely wrapped blade is delivered at the delivery station at each movement of thepocket wheel I I.

Assuming the machine to be in operation, the mechanisms at the various stations and their functions will now be briefly described commencing with the feeding of the wrapper to the pocket wheel II and following that particular'pocket through one complete revolution of the pocket wheel, thev mechanism at the delivery station and the detecting and stop mechanisms being described in greater detail. It will be understood that the various mechanisms are driven and adapted to perform their various functions in timed relation to the driving of the pocket wheel.

The wrappers are supplied as pre-formed blanks I4 and are contained in a magazine I6 disposed adjacent th wrapper-feeding station, generallyindicated by reference numeral II. As the pocket wheel I I comes to rest, a blank I4 is'withdrawn from the magazine I6 by a suction device I8 and fed to a pair of feed rollers I9 and 20, which forward the blank I4 to the pocket wheel II along guides 2| to a position in register with the pockets l2, i. e., with the central portion of the blank I4 in register with the ocket I2 and the flaps of the blank overhanging the sides of the pocket. The wrapper I4 is positioned in register with the pocket I2 by means of a series of small pins 22 between which itis pressed by a reciprocating positioning member 23 after delivery by the feed rollers I9 and 2c, the pins 22 protruding from the surface of the pocket wheel I2 and being arranged to register with the corners formed between the flaps of the blank. As soon as the blank I4 is positioned in this manner, the

pocket wheel I2 is rotated through an eighth of 3 wheel 21, and as the pocket |2 comes to rest, a gumming arm 28 is caused to descend into contact with the surface of the gumining wheel 21 and then to swing forward and descend on to the blank M to deposit a spot of gum on to the inside surface of "the flap constituting the outermost flap of the finished package. The pocket wheel I I then makes a further eighth of a revolution to carry the pocket |2 to a liner-feeding station generally indicated by reference numeral 29 at which is arranged a mechanism for forming and feeding the liners.

The liners are formed from a web of liner material which is fed from a roll 3| into a linerforming mechanism 32 which punches out portions of the material so as to leave a shape corresponding roughly to the shape of the blank 14. After the punching operation the web is ted for.- ward by a pair of feed rollers 33 to position'the partially formed liner in register with the blank 14 on the pocket Wheel, and acutting and pressing device -34 is then caused to descend and-cut a liner 3% from the web and in the same movement press the completed liner 36 together with the blank l4 into the pocket |2, leaving the flaps protruding from the pocket.

With the blank |=4 the liner '36 mow partially folded into the form *of an open-topped :box by the pressingof the liner and blank'intothe pocket 12, the pocket wheel makes a further eighth of a revolution to carry the pocket |-2 to a bladefeeding station generally indicated by reference numeral 31, where a blade 38 is fed from the base of a magazine 39 by a pusher member 4| arranged to slide in a track |2 forming part of the main framework. The pusher 4| is reciprocated in the track 42 by means of an arm 43 pivoted in the main framework at 44 and-carrying a cam roller 45 arranged to bear against the face of a rotatable cam secured to a camshaft 41. The arm '43 is connected by means t'o f a link 48 to a bracket 49 depending from the rear 'end of the pusher 41. The pusher 4| carries the'blade 38 to a position adjacent the :pocket 12 where it is picked up by a suction nozzle 5| which-carries the blade forward and depositsiton the liner :in the pocket I2. The nozzle 5| is :mounted .on .a carriage '52 sli'dably mounted on a pair of rods 53 along which the carriage is zreciprocated :by a lifting lever 54. 'The lifting lever 54 pivoted at '55 on the main framework and is provided with an arm 51 which is connected by a link 158 toan arm 59 pivotally'mountedatifl :in the mainframework and provided with a cam roller "62 arranged to bear against the face 'of 'a rotatable cam 63 secured to the cam shaft 41. The carriage :52 is lifted "by the lifting arm 54 and is returned by spring :means not shown. The rods 53 are secured to a further carriage 64 slidably mounted on a further pair of rods 65 alongwhic'h the carriage 64 is 'reciprocated by means of an arm 61 pivotally mounted at 44 and cormected to the carr'iageBB by'a link 68, the arm fil being provided with a cam roller '69 arranged to bear against the face of a rotatable cam :"H secured I -to the cam shaft i'l.

it will be understood that the cam rollers of the various .cazn-operatedarms described herein are provided with spring means or equivalent mechanism for constraining the cam rollers to follow their respective cams.

The nozzle 5|, after picking up a blade-from and then downwardly to deposit the blade on to the liner and wrapper blank in the pocket, the motion of the nozzle 5| then being reversed for the purpose of returning to pick up the next blade. Suction is applied to the nozzle 5|, through a flexible tube "14, by means of -.a cylinder 13 in which'a'piston 1 6 is caused to reciprocate by its connection with an arm 11 pivoted at 18 in the main framework and provided with a cam roller 19 arranged to bear against the face of a rotatable cam 8| secured to the cam shaft 41.

Connected in the air line between the cylinder '13 and the suction nozzle 5| is a secondary cylinder 82 in which is arranged a detecting piston 83 formed with a projection 84 protruding through the end of the cylinder 82 and arranged to en age a contact member 86 for operating apair of electrical contacts 81. The purpose of the cylinder 82 and associated mechanism is for V idetecting when the suction :nozzle i5-| :faiis to pick up a blade 38 from :the pusher member '44, and :its operationwill be :described later in connection with the mechanism at the delivery station.

After the :blade -38 :has been :deposited in the pocket I 2 by the :suction nozzle 5| and the nozizle moved clear, the pocket wheel H once :more makes an eighth of a revolution to carry the pocket .to -a folding .sta-tion generally indicated reference numeral 91. ;At this station, the wide flaps of the liner are first folded on to the blade by a first folding member 92, then the nar- .-row flaps of both the .liner and wrapper blank are folded on to the already folded liner flaps :by a second folding member 93, and then the trailing wide flap of the wrapper blank is folded .on to the narrow .fiap by a third folding .member 84, leaving the remaining wide .ilap upstanding. The pocket wheel then makes a ."further eighth of a revolution to carry the pocket ['2 to v(a pressing station generally indicated by reference numeral 96, and'during this -movement the remaining ilap .of the wrapper blank iis ploughed over .by a stationary foldin member =19]. At the pressing station, a pressing member '98 descends to press the .complete'dipackage as a whole, after which the pocket wheel again moves through an eighth .of a revolution to carry the pocket .|2 to a delivery station generally indicated by reference numeral it] at which an ejector 1112 is caused to move upwardly through a suitable aperture in the base of the pocket T2 to eject the completedpacka e into a magazine m3 disposed above the pocket at this station.

The ejector 1.82 slida'bly mounted in a bearing [0.4, and is .ccnnected'by means of alpivoted link Q1506 to a two.-.-armed Operating lever 1'61, F88, ,pivoted at Illll and vprovided with a foam roller arranged to beara'ga'in'st the face of 'aro'ftatable cam |.|12 secured to a rotatable shaft '3, 'The operatin lever [81, T58 is vprovided with an arm H4 in which is mounted a stud '||'6 arranged to operate an arm 'I'Il 'formingipar-t of a counting device 1| 8 for counting the completed ipackages delivered to the magazine 1'63.

Arranged adjacent the operating lever T51, {08, isastopmechanism comprising a two-armed lever |2|, 'l'2'2, a rotatable selecting member H3 .pnovided with sixslidablepegs .124, and a pivoted cam member 116 arranged for pivotal movement under the influence of .a solenoid 12.? which is wired in the circuit .of the :pair of contacts and 8 1 and is thus responsive to the movement of the detecting piston '83 mentioned above.

Th selecting member L23 is ireely mounted on a stud I3I, secured'in the main framework, and is rotated in suitable timed relationship with the pocket wheel II by a pair of gears I32 and I33, the selecting member I23 being attached to the gear I33 for rotation therewith. The solenoid I21 and the cam member I26 are mounted in a bracket I 34 attached to a flange at the upper extremity of the stud I3I, and the bracket I34 is adjustable circumferentially of the stud I3I for purposes of timing. I

When the blades are being fed normally by the suction nozzle the inlet of the nozzle is closed eachti me a blade is picked up with the result that the detecting piston 03 is caused to move by suctionaway from the contact member 66 against the action of a spring I36 and thus break contact between the two contact points 86 and 81 which, in turn, render the solenoid I2'I inoperative, thus allowing the blade just delivered by the nozzle 5| to be ejected into the magazine I03 at the delivery station in the ordinary way. When, for any reason, the nozzle 5| fails to pick up a blade 38, however, the detecting piston 83 is not withdrawn and the contact points 86 and 6? remain connected and the solenoid I2! is operated to pivot the cam member I26. Upon operation of the cam member I26 by the solenoid I27, the cam member moves into the path of the slidable pegs I24 which, in their inoperative positions, project upwardly, and causes the next peg I24 passing the cam member I26 to be depressed so as to project downwardly from the base of the selecting member I23 so that, upon further movement of the selecting member I23, the peg I24 just depressed by the cam member I26 engages the arm I22 of the stop member I2I, I22, and causes it to" pivot so that the arm I2I moves into engagement with the under side of a projection I31 on the arm I08 of the operating lever I07, I08, such action preventing the cam roller III from following its cam under the influence of a spring I38, with the result that the ejector I02 is prevented from operating. to eject the faulty package into the delivery magazine I03. As mentioned above, the cam member I26 and associated mechanism are adjustable circumferentially of the axis of the selecting member I23, and it will be understood that the timing of the selecting member I23 in relation to the movement of the pocket wheel II is such that the slidable peg I24 operated under the influence of the detecting piston 83 does not prevent oplike the ejector I02, moves upwardly through a suitable aperture in the base of the pocket I2 to eject any package that may have been allowed to pass the delivery station. The auxiliary ejector I46 is of similar construction to the ejector I02 and is arranged to be operated by an operating lever I 41, I48 pivoted on a stud I49 I} and provided with a cam roller I5I arranged to bear against the surface of a rotatable .cam I52 secured to a rotatable shaft I53. The auxiliary ejector I46 is operated by its cam mechanism at each movement of the pocket wheel and is quite independent of the detecting and stop mechanisms mentioned above. It will thus be seen that any package not delivered at the delivery station by reason of the operation of the detecting and stop mechanisms will be ejected into the auxiliary magazine I44.

From the auxiliary delivery station the pocket wheel II again makes an eighth of a revolution to carry the pocket I2 once more to the wrapperfeeding station where the cycle of operations is repeated.

I claim:

1. A wrapping machine comprising a movable pocket member formed with a series of pockets each of which is provided with a wrapping, means for feeding articles to successive pockets of said pocket member for transference to a succession of stations at each of which an operation is performed, a magazine arranged above that pocket of the pocket member which for the time being is at a main ejecting station, an ejecting member arranged below the pocket at the main ejecting station, operating means fOr causing the ejecting member normally to pass through the base of each pocket in turn as it arrives at the main ejecting station so as to eject the wrapped article into the magazine, a detecting mechanism adapted to detect failure of the article-feeding means to feed an article forward, a stop mechanism arranged upon such detection to prevent eration of the ejector I02 until the faulty package reaches the delivery station.

The stop member I'2I, I22 is retained in stop position by the appropriate peg I24 until the operative portion of the cam I22 has passed the cam roller I I I, and as soon as the peg I24 moves clear of the arm I22 the stop member is returned to its inoperative position against a fixed stop MI by means of a spring I42, and the peg I24 is returned to its inoperative position, during further movement of the selecting member I23, by a stationary cam I43.

It will thus be seen that only completed packages are allowed to be ejected into the magazine I03 by the ejector I02, such packages being counted by the counting device II8.

From the delivery station, the pocket wheel II advances a further eighth of a revolution to an auxiliary delivery station generally indicated by reference numeral I43 where there is arranged an auxiliary magazine I44 similar to the magazine at the delivery station. At this station an auxiliary ejector I46 is provided which,

actuation of said operating means upon arrival 'at the main ejecting station of the pocket to which the article-feeding means failed to feed an article, an auxiliary magazine arranged at an auxiliary ejecting station succeeding the main ejecting station, an auxiliary ejecting member arranged below that pocket which for the time being is at the auxiliary station, and operating means for causing the auxiliary ejecting member to pass through thebas of each pocket in turn as it arrives at the auxiliary ejecting station so as to eject into the auxiliary magazine the wrappers not containing articles.

2. A wrapping machine comprising a movable pocket member formed with a series of pockets each of which is provided with a wrapping, a suction nozzle for feeding articles to successive pockets on said pocket member for transference to a succession of stations at each of which an operation is performed, a magazine arranged above that pocket of the pocket member which for the time being is at a main ejecting station,

an ejecting member arranged below the pocket at the main ejecting station, operating means for causing the ejecting member normally to pass through the base of each pocket in turn as it arrives at the main ejecting station so as to eject the wrapped article into th magazine, a detecting mechanism adapted to detect failure of the article-feeding means to feed an article forward, a stop mechanism arranged upon such detection to prevent actuation of said operating means "7 iipnm'anrimlzrat the ejiactingstabion 10f -.t:he packet M WhiCIL-thb anticle-fieedi-ng'means:faiied tozfeedz-am ar,tic1e,, saidwdetzmting mechanism com,- prising; amair piston-:nesponsiveto abrupt reduction in suctiongin'the air line operating the sue;- tion nozzle; movement ofsaid piston controlling the setiingv of'saiehstop mechanism,v 3111 auxiliary magazine arranged. at am auxiliary ejecting shati'onisucceedingthe mainaejentingstatioman auxiiiary' ejecting member arranged below that pockehwhiahianthe-time being is atithaauxiiiary atation, and apemting meansl'for causingitheauxeieeting memb'er tu-jpasg through the; base of-seach 'pncketin hurn as it. arrives at. the auxiiiaryejectingstatiomswasto eject into the auxiliary magazine; the wrappers not. containing attieles.

JOSEPH 'REEERENCES The-*fb'libwing references are of record in the file of, -this' patent:

UNITED. -STTATES- PATENZPS '10 2,325,774 Hohl A:ug..3; 19.4.3 23523352 'rl-lmii;g fiiow 1,1944

' FQREIGNLPATEN'ISE Numbeiz Country Date,

Eranae- Ju1y'13, .1931 Grea-hBritain. of 1928 Great Britainof 1938 

